Criminal Justice News

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

U.S. Marshals and Local Police Verify Sex Offender Compliance Near the Little League Baseball World Series Site

Williamsport, PA - Today, United States Marshal Martin J.
Pane announced that the home addresses of 164 registered sex offenders living
within a 20-mile radius of the Little League World Series site were verified as
part of Operation Safety Net. Law enforcement officials continue to investigate
five potential violations.

In 2010, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) in the Middle
District of Pennsylvania initiated Operation Safety Net to verify the home
addresses of Megan’s Law registrants and to ensure that those found out of
compliance were investigated and prosecuted. More than 6,000 unannounced
compliance checks within the 33 counties that comprise the Middle District of
Pennsylvania were completed since that time. And, more than 150 Megan’s law
violators were arrested.

On August 11th and 12th of this year, the USMS and the
Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law Section joined with the Pennsylvania
Board of Probation and Parole, the Lycoming County Sheriff and the Union County
Sheriff to complete 164 unannounced checks at the home addresses of convicted
sex offenders .

United States Marshal Pane stated, “The public should know
that the enforcement of sex offender registration laws is given the highest
priority within the Marshals Service.”

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006
designated the USMS as the federal agency responsible for helping local and
state authorities locate and arrest convicted sex offenders who fail to comply
with their Megan’s Law requirements. The Act additionally designated the USMS
as the lead law enforcement agency authorized to investigate convicted sex
offenders who move across state lines and fail to re-register.